Zone focusing, yeah… but what zone focusing?
Everyone talks about zone focusing these days. You see it in YouTube thumbnails, street photography forums, and Instagram captions: "I use zone focus, it’s how I stay fast and invisible." But let's be honest: most of the time, they’re not really doing it.
ZONE FOCUSING
True zone focusing is a manual technique. You set your focus distance (say 3 meters), choose your aperture (f/8, f/11), and then rely on depth of field to keep subjects sharp without touching the focus ring. It’s beautiful, efficient, and perfect for the street … if your setup supports it. Otherwise is just an illusion.
Here’s the catch.
If you’re using a Sony a6000 (like I do), and you slap on a manual lens: something like the 7Artisans 25mm, 27mm, or 35mm: the camera has no idea where the lens is focused, because there are no electronic contacts. So when you turn the camera off and back on again, it doesn’t remember anything. You have to manually reset your focus every time, or risk shooting a whole series out of focus.
That’s not zone focusing. That’s wishful thinking. I experienced that with my 7Artisans 25mm f2.8 lens that is an AF lens, but…forget to use it as a manual lens. Anytime I turn off the camera and turn on the distance focus returns to an incorrect distance. It doesnt keep memory that I set the lens to 3 meters. So, explain me the sense, to work like that…if I want to work using the zone focusing technique it is because I don’t want the delay of the AF, but if I have to set again the camera anytime I turn it on, there is not anymore the real convenience to make it. Maybe for the more technical among you I have discovered hot water, but I wonder what the point is of all these third part manual lenses for digital cameras. With my Sony 16mm lens I am sure it keeps the memory. And when I turn on the camera , I have it ready to shoot. And that makes me realize, if I am not wrong, and please if I am wrong, let me know, that:
Most people aren't really zone focusing
Let’s call it out: a lot of photographers claiming to “zone focus” with digital cameras are actually just shooting at f/8 and hoping for the best. They’re not setting exact distances. They’re not calculating DOF. And they’re definitely not rechecking their focus position after powering off.
So what are they doing?
They're letting autofocus do its thing: or they’re relying on luck.
And hey, that’s fine. But let’s not pretend it's zone focusing.
Why this matters on Sony
Unlike some Fujifilm bodies that keep lens profiles or "remember" manual settings better, Sony doesn’t play nice with manual glass. You can turn on peaking and magnification, sure: but unless your lens has electronic communication, your Sony body won’t know, or remember, anything about your focus distance.
That’s the core issue: zone focusing relies on a known focus distance. If that distance resets every time you turn your camera off, you’re not in control. I am making zone focusing with my mechanical 35mm rangefinder. And I making it with the Sony 16mm lens mounted on my Sony a6000, but i can’t do the same with the 7Artisans or any other third part lens.
A smarter workaround
So what do I do?
I use the 27mm f2.8 by 7Artisans in AF.
Then I shoot like this:
Set focus on something 3 meters away
Use f/8 or f/11.
That’s a camouflage zone focus in real life with lenses that are not provided with real connections.
Final thoughts
Zone focusing works, only if your camera and lens support it properly.
If you're using a manual lens with no contacts on a Sony body, you're not “zone focusing,” you're guessing: unless you recheck your focus every time you power up.
And if you're depending on focus peaking alone? That's a visual cue, not a measurement. It won’t save you from a shifted focus ring.
So yeah: zone focusing.
But what zone focusing are we really talking about?
I would like to read your comments and to know your experience with your digital cameras and the third parts lenses.
